Essential Divorce Documents
Divorce is a upsetting and emotionally draining time. Not only do you have to deal with the personal and mental strains of breaking from someone you thought you would be spending the rest of your time with, but also the process itself can be stressful and demanding.
Despite all this, a little bit of rational thinking is required. There are certain divorce documents that you will need that will make the divorce process run that much more smoothly. Even if you don’t think that the other party will dispute the divorce, you should still ensure that these documents are available, and it is certainly the case that a bit of work tracking them down now will mean a lot less hassle if it does go to court.
Remember: always make copies and keep the originals in a safe place.
Relevant Correspondence
Letters, faxes, emails, or any other correspondence can be very beneficial to your case. Whether the correspondence is between you and your spouse, or one of the two parties and a third party, any documentary evidence can sway the final decisions.
Credit Card Statements And Records
Historical credit card statements will not only show the profile of spending that has been undertaken by the two parties, but can also provide vital evidence in the form of questionable transactions in unfamiliar places.
Income Documents And Payslips
Details of your and your spouse’s income will be required if there is any dispute over finances. Getting together as much historical data on these items will make future decisions by mediating parties much easier.
Bank Records
Details of bank accounts are one of the most important divorce documents. Balances and incomings and outgoings will be used to determine the financial status of both parties; from there the allocation of marital money can be determined. Bank records are also a good starting point for further investigation, and reading through the statements will definitely give you further ideas of what documents you need.
Retirement And Pension Funds
As well as your actual physical and liquid assets, a 401k or pension account can be a huge factor in apportioning the family wealth. Once again all statements and records should be gathered. Sometimes a pre-marriage balance can be a useful divorce document.
Details Of Debts
Any debts that you or your spouse has – or is responsible for – will need to be taken into account; these are another essential divorce document. Make sure you gather all the relevant details and as many historical records that you can muster.
Real Estate And Other Ownership Documents
A big chunk of your and your spouse’s illiquid wealth will probably be tied up in real estate. Details and valuations of this will be will required in order that your ‘real’ wealth can be assessed. Bear in mind that you may be required to sell some or all of the property, so you will need to dig out all the documentation needed for that, too.
And Finally…
Hopefully your divorce will be a quick and (relatively) painless one; you may not need the divorce documents described above. Unfortunately though an easy divorce is a rare thing, and it pays to be prepared when the time comes. A little work now can save a lot of time and stress in the future.
